Jessica Hinebaugh smiled as the jurors who would find her guilty of robbing, kidnapping and attempting to kill her older sister walked into a state courtroom Friday.
The smile remained intact as the courtroom manager read the verdicts and as she chatted with her boyfriend and co-defendant, Michael Ayala, after hearing the verdicts.
In addition to attempted murder, robbery and kidnapping of sister Casey Ann Jones, the jury of 10 women and two men found Hinebaugh, 21, and Ayala, 24, guilty of theft, identity theft and unauthorized possession of the older sister’s debit and check cards. Jurors deliberated for less than a day before returning the guilty verdicts.
Hinebaugh and Ayala each face mandatory life prison terms with the possibility of parole for the attempted-murder charge and maximum 20-year terms for the robbery when they are sentenced in June.
Deputy City Prosecutor Scott Bell said he will ask the court to impose the maximum penalties.
Hinebaugh and Ayala will not be sentenced for kidnapping, theft, identity theft and unauthorized bank cards possession because the jurors found that Hinebaugh and Ayala committed those crimes as part of the attempted murder and robbery.
State sheriff deputies stopped Hinebaugh and Ayala at Honolulu Airport on Oct. 7, 2013. They were waiting to board a flight to Miami.
That was one day after Jones went to Wahiawa General Hospital with two stab wounds in her lower back. One of those wounds had pierced her left kidney. She was also two months pregnant. The injuries healed without surgery and Jones gave birth in May.
Jones, 25, told police that Hinebaugh and Ayala attacked her.
Jones testified Wednesday that Ayala stabbed her while Hinebaugh held her down in the living room of the Mililani Mauka townhouse Jones shared with her husband and sister.
Jones said after Ayala stopped stabbing her, Hinebaugh instructed her to go online to purchase the airline tickets. She said her sister was holding a knife at the time but not pointing it at her.
She gave detailed testimony about what she and her sister were eating before Ayala attacked her from behind, and what Hinebaugh and Ayala did and said to her and each other during the attack.
Jones said Hinebaugh came to Hawaii from Georgia in February 2013 to live with Jones and her husband, both of whom were Army soldiers assigned to Schofield Barracks at the time.
Hinebaugh did not testify in the trial.
Her lawyer Darcia Forester told the jurors in closing arguments Thursday that Hinebaugh did not intend to kill her sister and is guilty of assault, not attempted murder. Forester told the jurors if they believe that Hinebaugh did intend to kill Jones, then it is because she was suffering from an extreme mental or emotional disturbance and is guilty of manslaughter. She said Hinebaugh was not contesting all of the other charges.
Ayala did testify in the trial and said he arrived in Hawaii from Georgia on Oct. 2, 2013, to be with Hinebaugh. He said he met Hinebaugh online in July and corresponded with her over the next four months by text messages. He said he was not present during the attack on Jones.
His lawyer Randall Hironaka told jurors that if they believe Ayala, then Jones lied in court to protect her sister. Hironaka told the jurors that if they don’t believe Ayala, then they should find him guilty of assault instead of attempted murder because if he and Hinebaugh had wanted to kill Jones, Jones would be dead.
